1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a securement system used to attach a medical line to a premature baby's or neonate's skin.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common in the treatment of patients for healthcare providers to utilize catheters to introduce fluids and medications directly into the patient or to withdraw fluids from the patient. Premature babies usually require assistance to breathe and eat, and thus, are often fully instrumented. These babies also are usually fed intravenously by an intravenous (IV) catheter inserted into a vein, usually on the dorsal side of the neonate's hand or forearm. An arterial catheter may also be inserted on the ventral side of the neonate's hand for purposes of monitoring blood oxygenation.
Premature babies' present additional challenges to healthcare personnel since premature babies have less skin surface area available for attachment of a catheter. For premature babies, each catheter is precisely positioned, and the position of such is fixed relative to the neonate to prevent migration or dislodgment. Healthcare personnel usually secure the IV and arterial catheters using tape (and sometimes using sutures). The catheters remain in place for several days or weeks, and often require repositioning and/or replacement on a periodic basis.
Securing a catheter with tape upon the patient traditionally has certain drawbacks. The use of tape at the insertion site can retain dirt or other contaminant particles, potentially leading to infection of the neonate. Tape also fails to limit catheter motion and, therefore, contributes to motion related complications like phlebitis, infiltration and catheter migration.
Taped dressings also require periodic changes. The frequent, often daily, removal and reapplication of adhesive tape to the skin of the patient can exfoliate the upper layers of the neonate's skin in the area around the dressing. Such exfoliation of the upper layers of skin can lead to abrasions on the neonate's skin because the neonate's skin is so thin, sensitive and fragile. Moreover, infection and disease can occur as a result of such skin wounds owing to the relatively undeveloped nature of a neonate's immune system.
Such repeated applications of tape over the catheter or medical line can additionally lead to the build up of adhesive residue on the outer surface of the catheter or medical line. This residue can result in contaminants adhering to the catheter itself, increasing the likelihood of infection of the insertion site. This residue can also make the catheter or medical line stickier and more difficult to handle for healthcare providers.
Catheter systems have been developed for neonate applications. Even though the limited skin surface area of a premature baby may warrant the use of a reduced or miniature sized catheter, the use of such small catheters would import additional difficulties for healthcare personnel during the treatment of the premature baby. Thus, catheter manufacturers often size their catheters to facilitate handling and manipulation by healthcare personnel.
The attachment region on a catheter retention device may be larger than the available skin surface of a neonate. Further, when the tip of the catheter is aligned with the insertion site on a neonate, the body of the catheter may extend beyond the available skin surface. Due to the relative size difference between the available skin surface of a neonate and the length of the catheter, these systems tend to be relatively large and may result in the skin attachment location of the catheter retention device being located at an undesirable distance from the insertion site.